Everyone Knows
by Teyke
Summary: Perspectives on AVALANCHE, years after Meteor.


Everyone in Wutai knows that Yuffie Kisaragi is a

_big damn hero_

which makes the younger people look up to her; makes the older people applaud her for using her heroine status to bring back the traditions that made Wutai an empire, once; and makes the middle-aged adults, the ones who took the brunt of the war against Shinra, whisper worriedly that she'll bring ruin upon them all again, as foolish pride has done in the past. Yuffie glories in her status, naturally, and screams at anyone who dares to contradict her new – or old – innovations, with the same gusto that she once reserved for her father. All that energy has to go _somewhere,_ and she doesn't scream at her father anymore.

Everyone in Edge knows that Tifa Lockhart is a

_really hot chick_

not the least because she can throw anyone who tries to grope her straight out the door of the tavern. Usually, she drags them to the door first, but one time this _really_ drunk guy started hitting on the little girl who mixes drinks behind the counter, when Tifa was away in the back. A commotion ensued when the guy's friends started ribbing him, and then Tifa burst into the room at a dead run and did some fancy martial arts technique that threw the guy the full length of the bar. He came back after sobering up and apologized, highly embarrassed, and explaining ruefully that somehow he'd thought Marlene was Tifa. Everyone thought he was crazy for being able to mistake AVALANCHE's lady for anyone else, let alone a little girl.

Shera in Rocket Town knows that Cid Highwind is a

_prodigy_

because anyone who can design an airship all by himself is a genius engineer, anyone who can build it almost all by himself is an insane mechanic, and anyone who can fly it is a damn good pilot. But anyone who can do all of that while still being able to fight on a level with AVALANCHE – possibly the most powerful force on the Planet – well, she knew he was a man of many talents from the first time that she saw him swallow a gulp of tea while still managing to swear _and_ smoke one of his incessant cigarettes, all at the same time.

All the guys in the oilfields know that Barret Wallace is a

_good man_

even if he does have that freaky arm, because when monsters come up, there's no one better to have your back. The arm might be his weapon of choice, but he's not afraid to get in a tussle, either, although that's only to be expected when a guy has muscles like those. But more to the point, although he might be gruff and arrogant at times, he's also protective and loyal to a fault. In an era where everyone has been screwed over by their leaders since they were born, a leader who would lay down his life for you or yours – and who nearly has, on a couple of occasions – well, that weighs out any faults the man might have, big time.

Everyone in Cosmo Canyon knows that Nanaki is a

_bit odd_

not because he is a four-legged creature with a flaming tail, but because he is so forgiving and ferocious simultaneously. He has, while serving in the capacity of the Canyon's guardian, sentenced criminals to death, and sentenced criminals to live, and somehow the ones who live always end up making the most of their chance at reformation. The elders used to think that Nanaki is simply a very good judge of character, but then, when one criminal insulted Nanaki's father, the beast made a very eloquent, but very vague defense of his father's honour. While some of the elders think it may just be a blind spot, they are uncertain as to how _anyone_ could think well of such a coward.

Everyone who works with him knows that Reeve Tuesti is a

_paranoid son-of-a-gun_

and a bit odd, because that robot of his is just _weird_. It may be a genius invention – it actually seems to have its own intelligence, which runs even when Reeve isn't controlling it – but damn, it is _creepy_. The creepiest thing, though, was when a crazed ex-trooper tried to assassinate the guy, and actually managed to blow away his head, only to have the freaking cat jump out of the corpse – or rather, fake body, because that was just a robot, too – and blow the guy away with a pair of _dice_. And then the real Reeve, or maybe just another robot, came walking up out of nowhere and surveyed the scene with calm poise. It started gossip that maybe there _wasn't_ a real Reeve; maybe there were just a bunch of robots.

No one except AVALANCHE knows that Vincent Valentine is a

_freaking ninja_

because he's a _freaking ninja. _

Everyone in Shinra knows that Cloud Strife is a

_homicidal maniac_

and not just because he waltzed through the lobby of the Shinra Building and slaughtered everyone in his way. The fault for that lies with Wallace and Lockhart too, after all. No, that's not entirely it, but when someone has killed Sephiroth multiple times, that qualifies them as homicidal, and when they probably have multiple-personality disorder, that qualifies them as a maniac. Unfortunately, when someone has killed Sephiroth multiple times that makes them a power to be wary of, and when someone has survived death so much as Cloud has, the chances of successfully offing him are greatly reduced. The situation leaves Shinra even more confused than their sudden fall from power; they've never run up against a road-block that they can't destroy before, and detours make them nervous.

Everyone in AVALANCHE knows that Aeris Gainsborough is a

_useless martyr_

because she died willingly to save them all, and yet her sacrifice meant nothing in the end; it made the situation worse, not better. But AVALANCHE knows, too, that half of the battle is intention and commitment. In life, everyone dies; death is the second half of a person's being, and unlike life, it can be defined in mere seconds. (Tifa thinks, privately, that it was less a decision to die and more of a decision to move on and become something greater. On bad days, she thinks that it was selfish of Aeris to die and opt out of the fight.)


End file.
